Follow Bill Charney Around the World: www.captainbiff.com
Russ Latta's D-17S Landing At Frazier Lake Airpark
"Swinging The Gear" on Bill Thursby's G-Model Staggerwing
Bob & Jane Hoff's D-17S Visiting Frazier Lake Airpark
Wan & Yon Perras' Immaculate D-17S
The Staggerwing Has More Than 10,000 Parts
Cutting & Welding The Tubular Steel Fuselage
Checking the Fuselage Tubing For Accurate Alignment Repair
Fuselage Formers & Stringers, Cables & Pulleys
Wood Formers & Stringers Make Up The Fuselage "Birdcage"
Finished "Birdcage" With Doors, Tail Wheel & Tail Feathers
Rebuilt Seat Frames With New Rails, Hardware & Cabin Floor
New Right Lower Wing Under Construction
Wing Construction Close Up
Finished Lower Wing and Flap with A Fresh Coat of Varnish
Right Lower Wing's Custom Made Metal Leading Edge
Fitting The New Right Lower Wing to The Fuselage
Fitting The Rebuilt Left Lower Wing to The Fuselage
Fitting The Fuselage's Right Side Sheet Metal & Wing Walk
Fitting The Fuselage's Left Side Sheet Metal & Wing Walk
Assembly of Fuselage, Tail Feathers & Lower Wings
Rigging All 4 Wings With The I Struts & Landing/Flying Wires
Fitting The Metal Fairing Panels Under The Belly Tank
Newly Fabricated I Strut Fairing On Lower Wing
Protective Canvas Tail Wheel Mechanism Cover
Inside View of The Fuselage With Its Poly Fiber Cover On
Poly Fiber with Poly Spray on the Fuselage
Fuselage With AeroThane Polar Gray Polyurethane Paint
Repairing The Engine Cowl Lower Half "Hat Ring" Bracket
Engine Cowl Lower Half With Replacement Center Panel
Rebuilt Dumore Landing Gear Motor by Bob Hayes
Restored & Polished 29 Gal Fuel Tank Under Cabin Floor
Chrome Plated Spinner Ready For The New Prop
Hamilton Standard 2D30-235-6167A-12 Prop From Johnson's
Overhauled R-985 by Aero-Engines in Los Angeles, CA
R-985 Ready To Run On The Aero-Engines Test Stand
Fabricating The Upper & Lower Instrument Panels
Progress On the Instrument Panel & Interior Upholstery
A Few More Controls to Attach & The Panel Will Be Done
Cabin Leather, Carpet & Wool Headliner Taking Shape
The R-985 Almost Ready for Air, Oil, Spark & Gas
The Hamilton Standard 2D30 Propeller All Polished Up
A Couple More Months and She Should Be Ready To FLY
First Engine Run on December 30, 2010
In The Paint Shop For The Fuselage "Bird" Stripes
Out of The Paint Shop & Ready For The Last Few Details!
Colors are Polar Gray, Diana Creme and Tennessee Red
Now Flying From Frazier Lake Airpark (1C9), Hollister, CA
(Click On Any Photo In This Column For A Larger View)
This is a magnificent restoration! A great aircraft to start with and now the attention to detail that all this rebuilding has gone thru is amazing. I wish you all the best in getting her back in the air. Would love to see her in the air. You make me proud to be part of the air generation that you put so much of yourself into this. Congratulaions, Don
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! One gorgeous bird.
ReplyDeleteVery special radio call; like a personalized license plate! I can't wait to see you fly over our farm. Awesome Den, so exciting!Julie
ReplyDeletei adore to have stunning birds with me i like them and also like to
ReplyDeletegive them beautiful homes of their i consider all citizens want this
so i would like to show appreciation you dear for sharing out it withus so nice of you cherished furthermore keep it up for more bird cage candle holders
Amazing restoration. Congratulations on seeing the project through.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a great job. As someone who restores old military aircraft here in Australia, I'm very impressed and envious.. May you enjoy this beautiful aircraft.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in another Staggerwing project I have serial # 3186 a DS17S, Seaplane version.
ReplyDeleteMissing wings.
Email for photos and details.
terryh510@shaw.cs
Oops above email should read terryh510@shaw.ca
ReplyDeleteI love them staggerwings! I used to be a fueler in ABQ some years ago. Every other now and the a staggerwing would come through, often on their way to Oshkosh. I see a staggerwing sometimes I would crawl under it and look up into the wheelwells. That wood was polished and looked so fine like the deck of a high dollar speed boat. Man o man! The golden age of aviation.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this project. The Staggerwing is one of the most beautiful planes ever made.
ReplyDeleteWe are looking for a Propeller.
ReplyDeleteHamilton Standard 2D30 with blades: 6167A-12 or -13
Diameter 8’ 6-1/8” maximum, (102 1/8”)
8’ 3-7/8” Minimum. (99 7/8”)
Low pitch set, 11’ ½ degrees
At 42in. rad. 157lbs (-62)
Please let us know if you can help us with this.
Best,
Mark Grusauski
wingworks@snet.net
This is an absolutely great site. i am an aeronautical engineer building an RC model of the Staggerwing and this site has been instrumental in figuring out so much of how this beautiful airplane was put together. I would love to get a set of Beechcraft's plans so I could be sure that my cross sections and the many fairings are correctly shaped.
ReplyDeleteI love to see the craft of your artisanship unfold in the photos of your aircraft. Absolutely gorgeous aeroplane! i am very jealous. someday I too will have a staggerwing to call my own.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
James Jensen
I have recently lost the beech17@frazierlake.com email address. If you want to contact me via email use dandsallen@sbcglobal.net. You can also mail me at home 1996 Lexington Ave., San Mateo, CA., 94402. Thank you for your interest in my Staggerwing. It's always available for viewing on the first Saturday of every month at Frazier Lake Airpark, Hollister, CA., in hangars A-12 / B-11.
ReplyDeleteDennis Allen
650-520-8141
Hello Dennis
ReplyDeleteYour staggerwing looks fantastic well done.
I am chasing a set of birdies, metal would you or someone have a contact.
allan@arthurpipe.com
regards Allan